Durant's barb came seconds after the Warriors overcame a 17-point deficit to win Game 2 of their playoff series

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Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) walks off the court after defeating the Houston Rockets during Game 1 of their NBA second round playoff series at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Sunday, April 28, 2019. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets 104-100. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) reaches down to touch his leg after shooting a basket over Houston Rockets’ Iman Shumpert (1) during the third quarter of Game 5 of their NBA second round playoff series at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. After landing Durant would begin limping from an injury and would not return to the game. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) shoots over Houston Rockets’ Iman Shumpert (1) during the third quarter of Game 5 of their NBA second round playoff series at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. After landing Durant would begin limping from an injury and would not return to the game. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) limps as teammate Andre Iguodala (9) loos on during the third quarter of Game 2 of their NBA second round playoff series at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. Durant left the game and didn’t come back. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group

Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) deflects a shot to Houston Rockets’ P.J. Tucker (17) during the third quarter of Game 2 of their NBA second round playoff series at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group

Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) celebrates with Klay Thompson(11) in the second quarter of Game 5 of their NBA second round playoff series against the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)

Motivational speaker Tony Robbins takes a picture of Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) during a timeout in the second quarter of Game 5 of their NBA second round playoff series at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) shoots the ball against Houston Rockets’ Austin Rivers (25) in the first quarter of Game 5 of an NBA second round playoff series at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the ball against Houston Rockets’ Austin Rivers (25) in the first quarter of Game 5 of an NBA second round playoff series at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) dribble the ball against Houston Rockets’ P.J. Tucker (17) in the first quarter of Game 5 of an NBA second round playoff series at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

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How good is Kevin Durant? He delivered a dagger to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night. And he wasn’t even suited up.

It happened this way:

Shortly after the final buzzer of the Warriors’ come-from-behind victory in Game 2 of their conference finals series against Portland, the Dubs came whooping and hollering into the tunnel that leads to their locker room. The injured Durant, currently sidelined by a calf injury, greeted his teammates as they came off the floor.

According to Yahoo, upon seeing Draymond Green, Durant, in an apparent reference to the Blazers, said “(NBA) Finals? They ain’t trying to go there.”

Yahoo also reported that ESPN recorded Durant’s remark and posted it on Twitter. The tweet was subsequently deleted, Yahoo said.

That doesn’t mean it’s going away. Durant’s remark is clearly an escalation in the podcast war between he and Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum. Appearing on McCollum’s podcast last summer, Durant laughed at McCollum’s assertion that the Blazers had the makings of an NBA champion.

“Bro, you know you guys aren’t going to win a championship,” Durant replied. The exchange touched off a days-long spitfest.

It’s the kind of comment that would figure to rub the Blazers the wrong way, especially given a) that they’re down 2-0, b) the 17-point lead they coughed up on Thursday, and c) almost certain elimination should they lose Game 3.

Durant will not travel to Portland for Games 3 and 4, instead concentrating on his rehab. And perhaps writing more material.

Gary Peterson is a sports writer for the Bay Area News Group. His prior assignments included 31 years as a sports columnist, serving as a general assignment news reporter, covering courts and writing a metro column before finding his way back to sports.